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I grew up with my family using margarine instead of butter. I'm sure it wasn't chosen for the flavor, but the cost. I thought it was so good tho (what did a lil kid know? hehe) I remember I was about 3, when my mom had her back turned, sliding my finger
thru the butter and into the sugar bowl..and of course, into my mouth. I always got in trouble too. The finger tracks gave me away. : )
A funny butter story to me, but embarassing for my mom, was when I was 7. We went to a family reunion in BC, Canada. We were having fresh corn on the cob at my aunt & uncles farm. I promptly slathered butter in my hand and ran it up and down the cob until
I had butter dripping all over my hands. I couldn't waste all thet yummy butter so I licked em clean. When asked what in the world I was doing, I proudly said, "buttering my corn, thats the way we do it at home." My mom, who was there, was so embarassed
she wanted to slide under the table...not to mention throttle me. She was sure the relatives thought we were hicks from the States...LOL
We lived in the country and raised chickens for food & eggs, but no room for cows, so no butter to churn. I always cooked with my mom & was making family meals and baking by age 10. As an adult, I became a baker and cake decorator, and grew to appreciate
the wonders of butter. I completely stopped using margarine about 10 yrs ago when they changed the fat/water ratio in it. This really messed with the outcome of my baking, especially cookies. I then started using all butter in my baking. This was about the
time they started talking about margarine being 1 ingredient away from plastic. That was enough to convince me. I use butter all the time now and rarely use shortening in baked goods. All those trans fats and or hydrogynated fats creep me out. I have lost
185 lbs by cutting those things out of my diet. I still bake sometimes, just not as often, and try to make my recipes healthier..and yes, I still use butter because of the wonderful flavor. I just use less of it and replace some of it with coconut oil and
applesauce. There are always splurge times when you can enjoy a thick slice of warm, crusty, chewy, sourdough bread slathered with rich, creamy butter. yummm!

Great blog! ~ That story is too cute about you at 10. I can just see a kid doing and saying that. I too started cooking and baking younmg, but with my grandparents. I can't believe how many people my age know nothing of either. Btw ~ Congratulations, on the weight loss!

I understand the butter in hand story! I remember well the shocked look when I "ruined" my mil's butter by running my cob of corn back and forth over the top. She told that story nearly all my life! :)

Thanx Baker Bee and Mariann. I started cooking and baking at a young age bcuz my mom was not the best cook. She dried the meat out so we learned to appreciate her wonderful ground beef recipes. My pop encouraged me alot and was a pretty good cook. I was cooking complete meals by the time I was 10. I had no grandparents to learn from either, so cookbooks were my guide.

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About Me

I have been a baker and cake decorator for 39 years. A former bakery owner but now retired due to medical issues. I still make cakes & cupcakes for family and friends occasionally. These days I spend alot of time getting healthy, planning healthy meals and working out in a warm water therapy pool. I am now 178 lbs down from my highest weight.

My favorite things to cook
I love to make comfort foods, like my moms cabbage rolls, stuffed bell peppers, swiss steak, etc..but also try to make them healthier by using quinoa, brown rice, etc. Altho I don't bake as much as I once did, I love baking homemade cakes, cobblers, cookies, candy, etc.

My favorite family cooking traditions
Some of my recipes have been in my family for 50+ years and one for 100+ years...that would be my pop's pop corn balls and molasses taffy recipe. He grew up in Canada and his mother used to make the taffy and pull it on a hook in her kitchen. She then sold it to the local mercantile. Every fall we could hardly wait for a Saturday nite when we would invite friends over to make these. We would pop popcorn for hours and my pop would make several batches of the syrup. Mom would fill the huge bowl with popcorn and when the syrup was stirred in, we would all butter our hands and dip in cold water and make the popcorn balls. Sometimes we got burnt hands but it was all worth it in the end. The leftover syrup was poured on buttered plates and pulled into golden taffy. yummm

My cooking triumphs
I have made many beautiful wedding cakes and cakes in the shape of anything and everything. It was truly an honor to be a part of the bride & grooms special day. There is nothing like seeing the eyes of a child light up when they see their special birthday cake.. I once made a NASCAR car shaped cake for racer, Steve Sellers (Coca Cola car)

My cooking tragedies
Altho I only had a few cake catastrophies in the 39 yreas I have been making cakes...I was always able to make the necessary repairs in time for the event or wedding. I was always able to improvise when a florist didn't bring enough flowers to decorate the cake. Scouring yards for greenery and flowers can be challenging, but doable...Keeping a cool head can be an asset in those situations. : )